Envelop.



H. B. MAXWELL.

ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 10, 1911.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

HARRY B. MAXWELL,

HARRY B. MAXWELL, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed September 10, 1917. Serial No. 190,623.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, T-TARRY B. MAxwnnL, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city of Omaha, county ofDouglas, and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Envelope, and have described the same in the followingspecification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of envelops which are commonly madeindividually of a piece of paper folded flat upon itself and gummed, andare used as coverings for contained letters during transmission by mail.It is the main object of the invention to adapt, in a superior andconvenient manner, an envelop of this class to be first sealed by thesender, then opened by a censor for examination 0r treatment of itscontents, and afterward rescaled in condition to be forwarded with itscontents to its destination. To accomplish this object I incorporate inmy improved envelop, as parts thereof, a removable flange which hasadhesive matter on one side for the initial sealing of the envelop bythe sender, a closing flap, adhesive on the other side, for therescaling of the envelop by the censor, and an intermediate removablenonadhesive border strip temporarily uniting the flange with the flap.

In said drawings, illustrating the best manner in which I havecontemplated applying the principles of the invention, the severalfigures, numbered from 1 to 6 inclusive, are rear plan views of anenvelop which is constructed in accordance with these principles, and isshown at different stages of its use and construction.

In this illustrated and illustrative specimen of my invention, the bodyof the en velop is a flat rectangular pocket formed in the usual mannerbetween the front wall 7 and its rearwardly folded and stuck-togetherwings 8 and 9. The removable flange, above mentioned as part of theenvelop, is denoted by the numeral 10. To prevent buckling, it is madepartly or wholly discontinuous midway of its length, as at 16 in Fig. 1.On one side, corresponding to the face of the envelop, this member iscovered with gum arabic, or other adhesive preparation, denoted byshading in Fig. 2. On the other side, it carries the word Censored, orsome other legend or distinctive marking of similar significance, asshown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6. The sealing flap, above mentioned as partof my improved envelop, is denoted by the numeral 11. This member is aflat extension from the front wall 7 of the envelop, and is of generaltriangular form. It is flexibly continuous with the front of the envelopand demarked therefrom by folding backward in the usual manner on theline 12. Along its free edge it is gummed on one side, in the usualmanner, as shown by shading thereon in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5. Thesemembers, the described flap and flange, are symmetrically and integrallyunited by the intermediate flat strip 13, which is demarked therefrom bythe parallel lines of perforations 14 and 15 respectively.

Operatively the letter which is to be in closed is inserted in theface-addressed envelop in the usual manner, while the latter is wideopen as in Fig. 1. Then the flange 10 is folded down flat on the strip13, as in Fig. 2, and duly moistened for sticking. Then the flap 11,carrying the flange and sticky strip in that position, is folded downflat on the wings 8 and 9, as in Fig. 3. By finger pressure on theoutside of the strip 13, the flange is then stuck permanently to thesewings, and thereby the envelop is sealed for transmission to the censor.Then, when the envelop reaches the censor, he opens it by inserting aknife-blade or the like between the flange and the strip and therebysevering them from each other along the line of the perforations 15. Bythus opening the envelop, he Permanently exposes the legend orequivalent marking on the flange 10, as in Fig. 4. Then the censor takesout the letter, and, after due examination or treatment, puts it back inagain. Then he tears off the strip from the flap, along the line of theperforations 14, leaving the envelop in the condition shown in Fig. 5.Then he moistens and sticks down the flap, as in Fig. 6, which shows themissive ready for transmission to its proper address.

I claim as my invention- An envelop of the specified class, comprising aflat pocket, a closing flap united.

therewith and gummed on the inside, a nonthe flange is adapted to befolded underand adhesive demarked strip separably united against thestrip and in that position to be With the free margin of the flap, and'are stuck to the back side of the pocket and 10 movable flange Which isnot Wider than the covered by the strip.

strip, is distinctively marked on the inside, Witness my signature atOmaha, Negnrnmed on the outside and flexibly united braska, September7th, 191 wlth the free margin of the strip; whereby HARRY B. MAXWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

